History Trivia / Goodfellas

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor:
** Creator/JoePesci had problems with the Spider scene because he couldn't understand the outrageous reaction of his own character.
** Paul Sorvino almost walked out because he felt that he couldn't reach the cold personality of his role because he was the opposite kind of individual.

** Creator/MartinScorsese's mother, Catherine Scorsese, plays Tommy's mother. She and the cast ad-libbed the dinner scene. Scorsese's father, Charles Scorsese, plays Vinny the prisoner who puts too many onions in the tomato sauce and later [[spoiler:murders Tommy]].

* CastTheExpert: According to Nicholas Pileggi, some actual mobsters were hired as extras to lend authenticity to scenes. The mobsters gave fake Social Security numbers to Warner Bros. and it is unknown how they received their paychecks.

** Similarly, Ray Liotta was 35 and plays 21-year-old Henry through the film's first act (through his courtship with Karen).

** When Paulie confronts Henry after Henry's released from prison, Paul Sorvino improvised the slap to Ray Liotta's face, hence Liotta's reaction.

* DawsonCasting: Joe Pesci was 46 at the time of filming and plays Tommy starting his early twenties.

** Joe Pesci had problems with the Spider scene because he couldn't understand the outrageous reaction of his own character.

** AFIS100Years100Movies10ThAnniversaryEdition: #92

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Series/TheWire Senator Clay Davis]] appears briefly as a doctor taking care of Henry's brother.
** [[Franchise/{{Saw}} Jigsaw]] is Jimmy Conway's parole officer.
** [[Film/TheDeparted Billy's cousin Sean]] is Henry's brother
** [[Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera Rotti Largo is a mob boss?]] That explains so much!
** The whole movie was something of a preparatory school for ''Series/TheSopranos'':
*** Christopher is shot by Tommy. Big Mistake on Tommy's part.
*** Dr. Melfi likes the Gangster lifestyle more than she admitted.
*** Tommy murders Phil Leotardo.
*** Paulie almost shoves a mailman into an oven.
*** Big Pussy works in the Copacabana moving fur coats and stuff around.
*** Larry Barese owns a restaurant and partners up with the mob.
*** Agent Frank Cubitoso and Don Carmine Lupertazzi are generic wiseguys who frequent the Copacabana.
** [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Henry Hill eventually went down south and conquered Vice City.]]

** AFIS100Years100MoviesThAnniversaryEdition: #92

* Detectives Deacy and Silvestri are played by Ed Deacy and Larry Silvestri, respectively.

** [[TheWire Senator Clay Davis]] appears briefly as a doctor taking care of Henry's brother.
** [[{{Saw}} Jigsaw]] is Jimmy Conway's parole officer.
** [[TheDeparted Billy's cousin Sean]] is Henry's brother
** [[RepoTheGeneticOpera Rotti Largo is a mob boss?]] That explains so much!

** AFIS100Years100MoviesTHAnniversaryEdition: #92

** AFIS100Years100MoviesThAnniversaryEdition: #92

** The same can also be said about De Niro and Liotta's characters. Though then again, this movie is naturally about gangsters.

*** Larry Barsee owns a restaurant and partners up with the mob

** The whole movie was something of a preparatory school for [[Series/TheSopranos]]:

** [[Series/TheSopranos Christopher]] is shot by Tommy. Big Mistake on Tommy's part
*** [[Series/TheSopranos Dr Melfi]] likes the Gangster lifestyle more than She admitted
*** Tommy murders [[Series/TheSopranos Phil Leotardo]]
*** [[Series/TheSopranos Paulie]] almost shoved a mailman into an oven.

** [[TheSopranos Christopher]] is shot by Tommy. Big Mistake on Tommy's part
*** [[TheSopranos Dr Melfi]] likes the Gangster lifestyle more than She admitted
*** Tommy murders [[TheSopranos Phil Leotardo]]
*** [[TheSopranos Paulie]] almost shoved a mailman into an oven.

** [[GrandTheftAutoViceCity Henry Hill eventually went down south and conquered Vice City.]]